dorst



March 10, 19 4 R. w. DORST 3,123,909

METHOD OF MAKING A RUB RAIL FOR BOAT HULL Filed June 13. 1960 2Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR. RICHARD W DORST ATTORNEYS March 10, 1964 R. w.DORST 3,123,909

METHOD OF MAKING A RUB RAIL FOR BOAT HULL Filed June 13, 1960 2Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. RICHARD W OORST A T TOPNEVS United StatesPatent 3,123,909 METHOD OF MAKING A RUB RAIL FOR BOAT HULL Richard W.Durst, Menlo Park, Califi, assignor to Textron Inc., Providence, RI, acorporation of Rhode Island Filed June 13, 1960, Ser. No. 35,748 2Claims. (CCI. 29-531) The present invention relates to boats, andpertains more particularly to decorative and protective rub ralls forboat hulls and to a method for making the same.

In recent years boating has increased greatly in popularity, and therehas been a tremendous increase in the number of boats built each year.Among the most popular of the new boats are the small, fast runabouts,either outboard or inboard powered.

An object of the present invention is to provide an improved decorativeand protective rub rail for applying, one to each side of the hull of asmall power boat, between the water line and the sheer thereof. Said rubrails extend from the transom forwardly, and taper from their after endsforwardly.

The invention also provides an improved rub rail for application to theside of a boat hull, each rub rail being of angular cross sectionalshape and having an undercut groove extending lengthwise of its innerapex to receive and retain a headed fastener for attaching the rub railto the hull of a boat. One side flange of each rub rail tapers from itsafter end forwardly, the other side flange thereof being of uniformwidth throughout its length with the exception of a short distance atits forward end.

A further object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensivemethod for making a tapered rub rail for application to the side of aboat hull.

These, and other objects and advantages of the invention, will beapparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings,wherein:

FIG. 1 is a perspective viewof a motorboat having a pair of decorativeand protective rub rails embodying the invention applied thereto.

FIG. 2 is an enlarged, fragmentary, sectional view taken along line 2-2of FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is an end view of a channel member from which two port rub rails,such as that shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, are constructed, a diagonal cutline being shown along the channel web.

FIG. 4 is an elevational view in reduced scale of the top, or closed,side of the channel member shown in FIG. 3, the diagonal cut line forsevering the channel member into two blanks for the making of port orleft hand rub rails being shown thereon in dash-dot lines.

FIG. 5 is a view in reduced scale, generally similar to FIG. 4, butshowing the diagonal cut line for severing the channel disposeddiagonally oppositely to that of FIG. 4 for providing two blanks for themaking of starboard rub rails.

FIG. 6 is a side elevational view of a completed starboard or right handside rub rail, showing the outer side of the tapered flange thereof inelevation.

FIG. 7 is a right hand side elevational view of FIG. 6.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view taken along line 88 of FIG. 9.

FIG. 9 is an enlarged, fragmentary, side elevational view of the upperend portion of the starboard rub rail shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, but takenlooking in the direction of the arrows 9-9 in FIG. 8, the dash-dot linesindicating the end portion of the angle blank after it has been bent tocurved shape, and before it has been cut away along a plane defined bythe free edges of the straight portions of both flanges of such angleblank.

3,123,909 Patented Mar. 10, 1964 ice FIG. 10 is a fragmentary plan viewshowing the inner side of the tip portion of a completed rub rail suchas that shown in solid lines in FIG. 9.

FIG. 11 is a fragmentary plan view showing the outer, or opposite, sideof the tip portion from that shown in FIG. 10.

Briefly, the invention provides pairs of similar, but opposite,decorative and protective rub rails A (FIGS. 1 and 2) and B (FIGS. 5 and6) for application one to each side of a boat hull D. The rub rails Aand B of each pair thereof are similar, but opposite to each other.

Each rub rail B (FIGS. 5 and 6) is of angular cross sectional shape. Oneflange Ill thereof is of uniform width throughout its length, and theother flange 11 thereof is tapered from its rear end 12 forwardly. Theextreme forward end portion 14 of each rub rail B is bent to curveinwardly toward the open side of the angle blank from which it is made,and is trimmed off along a plane defined by the line 15 of FIG. 9 toterminate in a point 17.

The blanks for making two of the starboard rub rails B are made bysevering a channel member C (FIGS. 3 and 4) into two similar angleblanks 18 and 19 along a diagonal cut line 20, while the blanks formaking two of the port rub rails A are made by severing a similarchannel member C along an oppositely inclined diagonal cut line 26'(FIG. 5).

Referring to the drawings in greater detail, the pair of identical angleblanks 18 and 19 (FIGS. 3 and 4) for making a pair of starboard rubrails B, are provided by severing the web 22 of a channel member C(FIGS. 3 and 4) along the diagonal out line 20 extending lengthwise ofthe channel web 22.

A pair of similar, but reversed, angle blanks 23 and 23' (FIG. 5) formaking a pair of port rub rails A, are provided by severing a similarchannel member C' along a similar, but reversely sloping, diagonal cutline 20'.

The similar channel members C and C, which may be, for example, ofextruded aluminum, each have similar side flanges 10 of uniform widththroughout their lengths, and a web portion 22 which alsois of uniformwidth throughout its length. The web portion 22 is substantially widerthan twice the height of a channel side flange 10. An under-cut groove25 is preferably provided along the interior of the angle between eachchannel side flange 10 and the web 22 to receive the heads of fasteners,such as the bolt 27 (FIG. 2), for attaching the rub rails to a boat hullD. A decorative head 26 may be provided exteriorly along each angle ofjuncture of the channel side flanges 10 with the web 22.

In making the angle blanks 18 and 19 from a channel member C, thediagonal-cut line 2% (FIGS. 3 and 4) extends from a point 28 on thechannel web 22 at the upper end of the channel member C as illustratedin FIG. 4, and spaced from the right side of the channel by a distancesubstantially equal to the width of the channel side flanges It to apoint 29 on the channel web 22 similarly spaced from the other side ofthe channel, and at the lower end thereof. When out in two along thisline 20, the channel C is divided into the two similar angle blanks l8and 19, each with one uniform width flange 10 and one tapered flange 11.

To complete a starboard rub rail B (FIGS. 5 and 6) from each of theangle blanks 18 and 19 (FIGS. 3 and 4) the narrow end portion of eachangle blank is bent to curved shape inwardly toward the open side of theangle of the blank to the shape indicated by the dash-dot lines 39 ofFIG. 9.

The dash-dot line portion 34} is then cut away along a plane defined bythe straight portions of the free edges of both flanges It and 11 of theblank, such plane being defined by the line 15 in FIG. 9. This operationcompletes 3 the curved, pointed, forward portion of the rub rail B asshown in FIGS. 6-11.

In the event that the transom 32 of a boat hull D (FIG. 1) to which apair of the rub rails is to be applied is at an angle other than a rightangle to the side of the hull adjacent thereto, the rear, or wider endof the blanks, such as the blank C (FIG. 4) are trimmed off along aplane defined by the dash-dot line 33 (FIG. 4) so as to be co-extensivewith the transom when applied to the boat hull.

Two port rub rails A are made, in a manner similar to that described formaking the starboard rub rails B, one from each of the blanks 23 and 23provided by severing the web 24 of the similar channel member C (FIG.along the oppositely sloping, but otherwise similar diagonal out lineFor mounting a pair of the rub rails A and B on a boat hull D, the heads34 of a required plurality of bolts 27 (FIG. 2), are slidably insertedin the under-cut groove in each of the rub rails A and B, and the shanks35 of said bolts are inserted in holes provided therefor at requiredintervals along both sides of the hull D. Nuts 38 and washers 39 arethen applied to the projecting inner ends of the bolts 27, and the nuts38 are screwed down to draw the free edges of the flanges 10 and 11 ofeach rub rail A and B into snugly fitting relation with the hull D. Inthe event that the hull D is curved throughout the lengths of the rubrails to be applied thereto to such an extent that it would be diflicultto draw the rub rails down into snugly fitting condition withoutdistorting the shape of the hull, it is advisable before applying therub rails to first bend or curve them by suitable means (notillustrated, but which are well known to those familiar with workingwith metal angle members) so that the rub rails will fit snugly onto thehull without the use of excessive force.

Both rub rails A and B are mounted with their pointed ends forward andtheir tapered flanges 11 uppermost, and since in ordinary use it is veryseldom that one views the side of a small boat hull in any positionexcept from angularly above it, the rub rails will have a pleasing,tapered appearance when so viewed, and the fact that the lower flanges10 thereof are not tapered will not be apparent.

The invention provides an inexpensive and easily made decorative andprotective pair of tapered rub rails, which may be easily and quicklyapplied to the sides of a boat hull, and which lend themselves readilyto artistic blending with stern fittings of a boat hull, such as, forexample, the lifting handles 40 of FIG. 1.

While I have illustrated and described a preferred embodiment of thepresent invention, it will be understood, however, that various changesand modifications may be made in the details thereof without departingfrom the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Having thus described the invention, what I claim as new and desire toprotect by Letters Patent is defined in the following claims:

1. The method of making a rub rail for a motorboat which comprisessevering a channel member having two relatively narrow side flanges andhaving a web portion wider than the combined width of both its sideflanges, diagonally endwise along a line begining at one end of the webat a distance from one of the side flanges substantially equal to thewidth of such side flange to a point at the other end of the websimilarly located with respect to the other side flange to therebyprovide two angle members with one flange of each thereof of uniformwidth, and the other flange of each thereof tapered from one end thereofto the other, bending a short portion of the narrower end of each anglemember inwardly in a curve toward the open side of the angle member, andcutting oif each of the inwardly curved portions along a plane definedby the free edges of the two side flanges of each angle member, therebycausing each of the rub rails thus formed to terminate in a point at itsnarrower end.

2. The method of making a rub rail for a motorboat which comprisesforming a channel member of rectangular cross sectional shape with arelatively wide web and two relatively narrow, similar, side flanges,and with an undercut groove extending lengthwise in the interior of theangle between each side flange and the web of such channel member,severing the web of such channel member diagonally endwise along a linebeginning at one end of the web at a distance from one side flangesubstantially equal to the width of such side flange to a point at theother end of the web similarly located with respect to the other sideflange to thereby provide two angle members with one flange of eachthereof of uniform width, and the other flange of each thereof taperedfrom one end thereof to the other, bending a short portion of thenarrower end of each angle member thus formed inwardly in a curve towardthe open side of the angle member, and cutting off each such inwardlycurved portion along a plane defined by the free edges of the two sideflanges of each angle member, thereby causing each of the two rub railsthus formed to terminate in a point at its narrower end.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,405,042 Kraft Jan. 31, 1922 1,498,176 Lachman June 17, 1924 1,914,728Plym June 20, 1933 1,937,197 Hallady Nov. 28, 1933 2,278,708 Miller Apr.7, 1942 2,543,404 Hardesty Feb. 27, 1951 2,553,504 Judd May 15, 19512,924,864 Holton Feb. 26, 1960 2,935,855 Reid May 10, 1960 2,959,146Erkert Nov. 8, 1960

1. THE METHOD OF MAKING A RUB RAIL FOR A MOTORBOAT WHICH COMPRISESSEVERING A CHANNEL MEMBER HAVING TWO RELATIVELY NARROW SIDE FLANGES ANDHAVING A WEB PORTION WIDER THAN THE COMBINED WIDTH OF BOTH ITS SIDEFLANGES, DIAGONALLY ENDWISE ALONG A LINE BEGINING AT ONE END OF THE WEBAT A DISTANCE FROM ONE OF THE SIDE FLANGES SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THEWIDTH OF SUCH SIDE FLANGE TO A POINT AT THE OTHER END OF THE WEBSIMILARLY LOCATED WITH RESPECT TO THE OTHER SIDE FLANGE TO THEREBYPROVIDE TWO ANGLE MEMBERS WITH ONE FLANGE OF EACH THEREOF OF UNIFORMWIDTH, AND THE OTHER FLANGE OF EACH THEREOF TAPERED FROM ONE END THEREOFTO THE OTHER, BENDING A SHORT PORTION OF THE NARROWER END OF EACH ANGLEMEMBER INWARDLY IN A CURVE TOWARD THE OPEN SIDE OF THE ANGLE MEMBER, ANDCUTTING OFF EACH OF THE INWARDLY CURVED PORTIONS ALONG A PLANE DEFINEDBY THE FREE EDGES OF THE TWO SIDE FLANGES OF EACH ANGLE MEMBER, THEREBYCAUSING EACH OF THE RUB RAILS THUS FORMED TO TERMINATE IN A POINT AT ITSNARROWER END.